True Night
Title: True Night, Part V
Author name: frostian
Artist name: thruterryseyes
Genre: RPS
Pairing: JA/JP
Rating: R for language and violence
Word count: ~49k
Warnings: Artistic license taken and abused.
Summary: Jared and Jensen take a road trip to Seattle only to witness what looks like the Apocalypse overwhelm the city. They manage to escape to an island only to discover the situation on Santos to be worse than Seattle. But they cannot leave, as the infected roam freely and the military has set up blockades around the island. Faced with immeasurable horror and growing desperation Jared and Jensen plan an escape, not only to save themselves but the sick who are quickly turning into homicidal psychopaths.
Disclaimer: So much fiction, it could be spotted from an orbiting satellite!
Emily looked completely dumbfounded while David schooled his expression to one of doubt as Jared and Jensen explained what they’d found downstairs.
“Tony had a very important job at a biotech company,” Emily cautiously reminded them. “It makes sense he built a lab for himself here.”
“Guys, do you know how crazy that sounds?” David stated bluntly.
“Look, maybe we’re wrong,” Jared said, “but you have to admit, it deserves a harder look by someone who’s more qualified.”
David sighed and rubbed his face. “I’ll be right back.”
They heard him thudding down the stairs, but when he reached the basement there was only quiet. Then they heard David return, this time his footsteps almost at a dead sprint. “Shit,” he said. “Look, I’m a mechanic for the Army. I have no fucking clue who to call. The best I can do is my Sergeant.”
“Then call him.”
“How?” David asked. “Cell service is down.”
“Landline?” Jensen asked.
“Spotty at best,” Emily said. She paused for a moment. “Wait a minute … James has a ham radio.”
“What’s that?” David asked.
“And the age gap ever widens,” Emily said. “Donovan James was a friend of my husband’s. He is an avid amateur radio enthusiast. The only problem is he lives almost a mile from here.”
“Tell us how to get to his place,” Jensen said, “and we’ll see if we can get it.”
“Guys, I don’t know what this ham radio is much less how to operate it,” David protested. “And the last thing you need to do is risk your…”
“We’ll worry about that when we get there,” Jared said. “We could get a manual or something. But what we need right now is a way for you to contact your Sarge.”
“This is way too important for us to just sit on,” Jensen said. “Someone has to take a look at this.”
“All right, all right,” David conceded. “I’ll think of something.”
Jared felt the bottom of his stomach plummet as Emily drew them a rough map to James’ house. Fuck, it’s on the other side of town. We’d have to cross that burned-out hellhole and probably the infected to get to the damn place.
Jensen must have come to the same conclusion because his face paled while the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. “We’ll go at twilight,” he said in a tight voice.
“What about me?” David asked. “Maybe I should go instead. If there is a radio and I can work it, I’ll be right there to...”
“It’ll be too dangerous for you,” Jared explained. “We can’t risk have anything happen to you since you’re the only contact the outside world will trust. Jensen and I are worth shit-on-a-stick when it comes to the Army but not you.”
David raised his hand. “Mechanic, and not a very good one at that.”
“Better than anybody else in this room,” Jensen said. “You stay put.”
“Emily, is it something we can carry?” Jared asked.
“Yes. James is obsessed about his hobby. He always had to have the latest and the greatest, and I remember they got smaller with each new model.”
“Hopefully that means the handbook’s still around,” Jared said.
They waited impatiently for the sun to wane. This time they were wise enough not to tell anything to Andrea who went to be early. Jared was worried about her. He knew oversleeping was a sign of depression, but for all he knew Andrea really did need the rest.
It was almost nine before the sky began to darken. David made sure they were outfitted correctly, and Emily gave them a small backpack filled with food and two bottles of water in case they had to stay away for the night. She also took the time to draw a better map than the first one.
Jared looked at Emily’s second map and gave a low whistle of amazement. “This is pretty detailed.”
“It helps that I lived here for twenty years,” Emily said drily. “Just be careful, okay?”
“We will,” Jared said, using the same tone he’d use on his mother when she set to fretting.
He heard David speaking softly with Jensen but didn’t bother to ask what. He could’ve guessed what the conversation would be about.
Protect them, and if need be, kill the bastard. Don’t think twice.
Something told Jared that the soldier would have very little problem doing anything necessary to protect Emily and Andrea.
The moment they stepped outside the house, Jared felt positively crushed by his fear. For a moment, he couldn’t move and it took Jensen’s “You okay?” for Jared to actually start walking.
“Take a deep breath,” Jensen said. “I know exactly what you’re feeling.”
“No you don’t,” Jared said harshly, “because if you did, you’d be pissing in your pants right now.”
“I went to the bathroom earlier,” was Jensen’s deadpan answer.
Jared appreciated Jensen’s effort to diffuse his fear. “So, we’re sticking by what route exactly?”
“The one that’s not going to take us through Dante’s seventh circle of hell. And hopefully downwind from the smoke.”
Jared was about to ask why when he realized Jensen’s reasons: the smoke would mask any smell coming from them. And though Jared didn’t notice earlier while they were indoors, both he and Jensen smelled ripe.
But soon, Jared focused all his attention on his steps. He was a big guy and until recently he had no need for stealth. He could move easily and quickly for someone his size, but Jared sounded like a tank at full charge. And thus, announcing his presence to anyone within earshot.
One of the main reasons why Jensen was able to dance circles around him whenever they ended up playing against each other in a friendly pick-up game.
Jared heard the twig snap under his boots and mentally winced before swearing softly.
“Dude, you’re not going to be Robin Hood,” Jensen whispered. “Just pay attention to your surroundings, okay?”
Jared did as Jensen suggested. After a few minutes, he felt more relaxed and his steps became lighter as direct result.
Jared smelled the smoke first, even before they were completely off the property’s boundary. And what he thought was twilight’s cast was mostly smoke that had been looming over the town since lack of any substantial breeze.
Jared didn’t want to see but the moment the chance came, he found himself studying the dying husks of Valley.
The fire had taken out the entire town, north to south, east to west. He wondered if the fire was naturally born or if it was created by some manmade desires.
“I wonder if the locals set off the fire in the hopes of scaring off the infected,” Jensen voiced Jared’s unspoken thoughts.
“If they did, it was a pretty fucking bad idea.”
“Yeah.” Jensen pointed to the left of Valley where Jared could see a dirt road, barely visible in the dying light.
“Okay,” Jared said, then after a long pause, “do you see any survivors?”
“No,” Jensen answered flatly, “and if they’re smart, they’ll stay hidden.”
Jared didn’t have anything to say to that so he remained quiet as they made their way around a culvert and rows of hills. Not for the first time, Jared admired Emily’s meticulous work.
By unspoken agreement, they kept off the dirt path and instead walked parallel to it. Twice, they had to duck behind bushes or cluster of trees because of noise. Both times it turned out to be animals.
And they didn’t bring any sort of comfort to Jared. One was a coyote, limping badly. From its torn coat and half-chewed ear, Jared knew it had been in a fight. With a sickening feeling he wondered if it was with another animal or an infected human.
The second was a cluster of house cats. Their march should’ve made Jared smile but instead he felt crawling sense of fear. They were acting like a pack of wild animals, and half of them were bloodied with one whose tail was completely missing. Two still had on collars with bells jingling merrily.
If they find us they’ll attack, just like that dog in Seattle, Jared concluded. But these cats won’t kill themselves. Oh no, they’ve gone completely feral. And they won’t care if we’re bigger. They’ll die trying to take us down.
They waited until the cats were completely out of sight before moving any further.
“So this virus affects animals in different ways,” Jared said.
“Yeah, and none of it’s good for us.”
Jensen sped up his pace and Jared followed. They reached Donovan James’ house as the last of the sun died, painting the horizon red.
Jared took a peek through the window and saw chaos. Overturned furniture and shattered glass littered the floor.
“We’re going through the back,” Jensen said.
Jared gave a tight nod and followed Jensen to the rear of the house to find the kitchen door wide open.
Jared wanted to turn right around and run but he knew they had no choice.
Made it this far, have to find the fucking thing. And then get the hell out.
He smelled death the moment they entered the house: shit, piss, and blood. So Jared was prepared to find a corpse. What he wasn’t prepared for was the condition it was in.
No human being could’ve done that, Jared thought numbly. Then he saw the bite marks on the calves and face and felt his stomach lurch. He quickly decided he’d given the body enough attention and switched his focus to the house.
Jensen slowly cleared the main floor but they didn’t find the radio. Which left the second floor and the basement.
Fuck, not another basement, Jared thought as dismay settled into his bones. Please God, don’t let it be in the basement!
But when Jared saw the old wooden staircase leading upstairs, the basement didn’t look so bad.
How am I suppose keep quiet?
Beads of perspiration dotted Jared’s upper lip and the back of his neck as they slowly crept up the stairs. Unfortunately there was a blind turn at the top, which forced both of them to crane their necks into an uncomfortable position as they made their way to the second floor.
There wasn’t any sound; the deadened air making it almost unbearable for Jared who, in a moment of a nervous fit, wanted to make enough noise to attract elephants in Zimbabwe. Instead, he made a slight hiccupping noise as Jensen tapped him on the shoulder.
Jensen pointed to a bedroom whose door was wide open, with a shadow quivering on its floor.
Jared could’ve danced in relief when he saw the cause of the shadow dancing. A lace curtain was blowing in the wind as the last of the sunlight streamed through, making patterns on the floor. He decided that closing the window would prevent further heart attacks and was slowly lowering it when he caught sight of a familiar figure.
“Oh shit,” he whispered.
Jensen heard him and peeked out to catch a familiar shirt fluttering in the wind.
“Who is that?” he asked.
“Meghan.”
Jensen didn’t have any time to respond. The kitchen door crashed open and though Meghan didn’t say anything, she made enough noises banging downstairs that they knew her location.
It took Jared a moment to realize, “My God, she’s taking the same path we took.”
“Our scent, she can smell us.”
That was enough for the two men to become galvanized. Jared slammed all the doors shut as they made their way down the hall.
“In here,” Jensen said.
They darted into the master bedroom as Meghan’s tread stormed up the stairs. But they immediately stopped at the top.
She can’t smell as well anymore so it’ll be harder for her to track us.
He turned to find Jensen unlocking a French window. When it was open wide enough Jensen looked down to calculate the distance. It must have been doable because he leapt without hesitation.
The jump was at least ten feet but the landing was grass so Jared had enough cushioning to prevent injuries. As he scrambled to his feet, Jared hoped they weren’t heard.
His prayer went unanswered.
Meghan’s pale, ravaged face flashed into view. Then her lips curled upwards, revealing dirty teeth. She banged the window hard enough that a pane broke.
“Run!” Jensen shouted.
Jared hadn’t taken three steps when he heard a crash behind him. Meghan had jumped right through the window. And though parts of her face and arms were shredded into gory ribbons, she came at them, screaming.
Jared didn’t think; he picked up a rock and threw it like it was a baseball. It smashed into her face, sending her reeling backwards. But the shock was only momentary; she got up. And even with one eye and nose smashed in along with her dislocated jaw, she once again charged towards him.
Jared picked up another rock and hurled, but this time he missed.
Jensen did not.
He appeared out of nowhere, and took out Meghan’s knees with a shovel. She fell forward but started crawling towards Jared by raking her fingers like claws through the grass.
Jared stood and watched, not being able to do anything as Jensen raised the shovel over his head. And he still did nothing as Jensen brought it down, wordlessly and swiftly.
The crack wasn’t as loud as Jared thought it’d be, but maybe that was because the virus did something to her skeletal frame. There was only a small squirt of blood and that was all.
Meghan immediately stopped struggling, which made Jared weirdly feel better. That respite was transitory and deceptive: when Jensen released his grip, the shovel remained embedded in Meghan’s skull.
Jared want to empty out his stomach but his terror made that impossible. He was too afraid that the stench would attract more attention. Instead, he crashed to the ground, his ass absorbing all the shock and transmitting none of it to his brain.
“Get up,” Jensen ordered harshly. “We can’t stay out in the open.”
Jared skittled back couple of feet before realizing he had to actually stand. He'd just gotten to his feet when Jensen grabbed him by his arm and forcefully shoved him into the detached garage.
The ancient Dodge Charger parked to one side was so familiar that Jared felt a cramp of nostalgic pain: it reminded him of all his innocent days in Texas.
“Over there,” Jensen said, pointing at the darkened corner of the garage.
Jared saw it: an old carpenter table filled with what he first thought was junk. It was only when he got closer that he saw what could be a ham radio along with a microphone attached.
Okay, this I can do. I can pack the fucking thing and we can get the hell out of here.
Jared pawed through the desk until he found a guide to the brand new equipment. He quickly flipped through it, reading the necessary parts.
“I think we just need the radio and the microphone, nothing else,” Jared said. When Jensen didn’t respond, he turned to discover his friend leaning against the car, hyperventilating and looking greyer by the second.
Jared grabbed him as Jensen’s legs gave way. He wordlessly settled Jensen on the ground, placing him against the car.
“I thought … I thought she’d get up and I would have to smash her skull again,” Jensen confessed between panicky breaths. “And I was sure that I couldn’t do anything if she did. I actually felt happy when she stayed down.”
Jared watched helplessly as Jensen covered his face and began weeping.
“I can’t believe I was happy,” Jensen said over and over.
Jared was unable to say anything of comfort so he instead held Jensen tightly in his arms until Jensen calmed down. The moment he thought Jensen’s equilibrium returned, Jared began swiftly packing everything in a duffel bag he'd brought along while keeping a sharp eye towards his friend. “Do you want to go back now?”
“I don’t know,” Jensen said, “I have no idea if the infected people can see better at night. But what we do know is they can smell better than us.”
Jared quashed the desire to return to Emily and Andrea. Jensen’s right. We’ll be seriously crippled out in the open at night.
“At the same time the longer we stay out here, greater chance of being found.”
“Fucked both ways.”
“Just about.” Jensen took another peek out the window. “I don’t know about you but I’d feel a lot better back with Dave and everyone else. I know we play badasses on television but let’s face it, neither of us are trained to deal with anything like this.”
Coulda fooled me, Jared thought, studying his friend’s pale profile. “So, we head out?”
“Yeah, and we stay downwind of town. Hopefully that will be enough to mask our scent.”
Jared knew his survival instincts should be ringing all its klaxon bells at the thought of going outside. But he wanted comfort and familiarity and miles away from Meghan’s body whose skull still had a shovel sticking out of it like a demented version of a flag planted on a newly-found territory.
“Do you want me to carry the bag?” Jensen asked.
Jared stuck out a mutinous jaw. “No, I can do this.”
“All right,” Jensen handed over a bottle of water. “Finish it. Once we start we’re not stopping until we get to Loony Lucy’s.”
Jared cracked a weak grin. “That sounds like we’re going to drop by a cathouse.”
“Don’t we wish.”
As usual, Jensen took point but this time he slowed down considerably so Jared could keep up.
“I can go faster,” Jared whispered after few minutes. He’d gotten used to the weight and truth be told, the equipment wasn’t at all heavy. His training included lugging weights in a specially-made backpack and his trainer went up to forty pounds, all the while upping the running miles from two to five.
Jared fully expected to hear something, anything, but the silence that reigned over them was eerie. No raccoons, not even possums. Nothing.
Jared shuddered as he thought about where they could’ve gone. A sudden breeze carried the scent of the ocean towards him, turning his trembling into something more violent.
“Shit,” Jensen said.
It was then Jared figured out they lost the downwind advantage. “Let’s hurry up.”
The two men began jogging as quietly as possible, but their increasing speed confessed their slowly rising panic. They were almost past Valley when the first howl reached them.
Please God, let that be a wolf, Jared prayed. Or some rabid dog or…
The following howls, though bizarre, were familiar enough for them to realize that they were ululations from human beings.
Without a word, they began running, abandoning any hope of silence. Because Jensen carried nothing, he was few yards ahead. Then, as if by magic, he disappeared.
Jared came to a stuttering halt and looked around. “What…”
“Down here!” Jensen’s voice echoed from the forest floor.
Jared looked down and saw Jensen’s pale face. It looked like he’d fallen into a disused storm cellar.
Jared jumped as if goosed when a howl sounded like it came from only few feet to his left. “Is there a door?” he hissed.
Jensen looked around then approached the wall to his right. He pushed with all his strength and a hidden door widened to reveal a narrow hallway. That was all Jared needed. He leapt down and almost shoved Jensen into the corridor before shutting the door behind them.
Not a moment later, snarling and other bestial noises cascaded from above.
Please God, don’t let them fall in. Don’t let them fall in, Jared prayed even when the sounds faded away.
Jensen tugged at his shirt, signaling that they would have to move inwards, into the darkness. Jared wanted nothing more than to stay put but he knew they had little choice. With reluctant steps, he followed Jensen down the passage, his arms spread out wide, allowing him to touch the walls on either side.
They’re bricks, Jared concluded. Someone took care building this place. Why?
Jared guessed they walked at least thirty feet before he heard Jensen fumbling. Then a thin LED beam illuminated their path.
Jared had braced himself for the Boogeyman standing not three feet away from them but all he saw was a passage so deep that the flashlight’s reach couldn’t illuminate.
“What is this place?” Jensen asked.
“You know, it might have been built in the twenties,” Jared whispered. “Back in Prohibition days, these islands were used for bootlegging. Smugglers brought in stuff all the time from Canada.”
“Okay,” Jensen said. “So do you have any idea where it could end?”
“Probably near the water,” Jared answered. “Best way to smuggle booze into town without getting noticed.”
“Could there be other entrances?”
“Probably.”
“Then we have to be extra careful, because there might be people down here.”
Jared frowned and then said, “But wouldn’t…”
“They wouldn’t be glad to see strangers. They might even react violently.”
Then there was the unspoken agreement about what else could be down in the tunnels: infected animals, infected humans.
Without a word, they stuck closer than ever, Jared matching Jensen’s speed as they made their way through the tunnel. After walking what seemed like half the island, they came to a split in the path. One was still lined with bricks- the other, dirt.
“Which one do you think?” Jensen whispered.
“I’m guessing the one with brick walls is going to lead us into the island, the other probably to a beach.”
Jensen looked at Jared. “Why do you think that?”
“A tunnel coming in from the beach is not going to be bricked up - would catch attention way too easily.”
“Of course.” Jensen turned the light towards the one hopefully leading away from the island’s center. “So we go this way?”
“Yeah.”
It was the sound of the ocean and not its scent that reached them first.
“Oh thank God,” Jared said.
Jensen shushed him. Jared took the gentle rebuke without any resentment, and enjoyed the familiar rhythm of waves washing ashore. It was then he heard another sound, subtle and distinct; similar to the noise Gen would make when she clicked her fingernails on a solid surface due to stress.
“What the hell…”
Jensen’s confusion completely grabbed Jared’s attention. He looked at what the beam of light was pointing at. It took him a moment to figure out the bundle was a blanket wrapped around the corpse.
Jackie’s corpse.
“Oh Jesus,” he managed to croak out. Now the cave was only too familiar. Then the clicking noises returned. He examined the body a bit closer and saw ripples under the blanket.
“That can’t be happening,” Jensen said flatly.
“Can’t be,” Jared echoed.
But the movements became more and more pronounced. Jared tensed up as Jensen leaned down slightly in order to focus the beam on the body. He didn’t have to go far. Something crawled out of the blanket from Jackie’s head.
Jensen withdrew, his lips peeled back in a grimace. “Crabs.”
In its claws was a hank of dirty blonde hair.
Jared had forgotten: crabs were foragers and would eat anything including human flesh. And Jensen’s urine wouldn’t be a deterrent against the crabs.
Jared felt his stomach roil as he suddenly remembered all the times he gorged on seafood.
“I’m going to be sick,” Jensen said, then pressed a fist against his mouth.
“The vomit comet’s already occupied.”
Jensen made a choking noise, alarming Jared. He turned to look at Jensen and found his friend fighting back a smile. Jared didn’t know how his off-handed comment could possibly be construed as humorous. But seeing Jensen’s humor return if only briefly was rewarding enough for him not to ask.
They moved around the body, scrupulously ignoring the crunching noises as they stepped on the scavengers that had recently feasted on Jackie’s corpse. Nevertheless, Jared took brutish pleasure as he stepped on as many as possible while they made their way towards the cave’s entrance.
The night air was refreshing, as the wind seemed to have kept its course away from the burnt town. But this meant they had to be extremely careful as they made their way up the cliffside and to the house.
Jared almost broke into tears when he saw the familiar rundown shack. There weren’t any lights, but he spotted fluttering of curtains in the kitchen window which told him of a presence: a presence with a sane mind.
They took a path lit with moonlight in the hopes that David would recognize them. The door was locked only for a moment. Then it swung open with no one in sight. They stumbled in, both taking deep breaths of stale air with gusto.
“Damn good to see you,” David said, holstering the gun.
Jared pointed to the duffle bag. “We got it.”
Dave smiled. “Good.”
“Did anything happen?”
“Syd started crying,” David said, his exasperation making him speak faster. “Emily felt sorry for him. I got to them before it was too late.”
“Crocodile tears?” Jensen asked. “He was trying to escape, right?”
“Yeah, but I had a talk with him and made him see the error of his ways.”
Jared gave a dry chuckle. “Did you let him change his pants afterwards?”
David shrugged. “Had to. It’ll be a while before he gets another bright idea.”
“Good job,” Jensen warmly praised the soldier, unwittingly generating a hot flash of jealousy from Jared.
David gave them another, longer look-over and said, “I’m guessing you guys ran into problems and not small ones either.”
Jared grinded out, “Something like that.”
“Let’s set this up.” Jensen pointed to the bag. “One of the bedrooms in the back would probably be best.”
It wasn’t until they had set out the equipment on the bed that they saw another, equally pressing problem.
“What in hell are we going to use as a power source?” Jensen asked.
“That’s not a problem,” David answered. “I can hook up a car battery to the radio.”
“Is there electricity?” Jared asked.
“It’s been spotty,” David said as he started flipping through the manual. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the microwave. It’s been going on and off at least a dozen times since you guys left.”
“Could that damage the radio?” Jensen asked.
“Definitely, this house is too old to have GFIs and we can’t risk having a surge destroy this.” David patted the radio and took a glance at its back panel. “Yeah, it won’t take much. Is there a car battery? Or a car?”
Jared closed his eyes and recollected what he’d seen in the barn. “There is. It’s old but not rusted. Actually there were few.”
“Where?” Jensen looked at Jared in confusion. “I don’t remember seeing any.”
“In the barn. Behind the stack of wood at the right … towards the back, one on the shelf and three sitting on the table.”
“Impressive memory you got there,” David said.
“What else do you need?” Jensen asked.
Jared realized what Jensen was saying. “We’re going to wait until daylight. I don’t know about you but I’m done for the night.”
“Maybe we could cannibalize what we need from downstairs,” David said.
“I wouldn’t touch anything in the lab,” Jared said quickly. “We can’t disturb the evidence and the last thing we need is stir up more shit.”
David paled slightly. “Okay, so no touching Dr. Frankenstein’s lair.”
“As soon as daylight comes, we have to start broadcasting,” Jared said. “Can you start working on it now? Do what you can?”
David took the duffle bag and a flashlight from Jensen. “I’ll get on it.”
His steps were light and quick as he made his way to the kitchen. Jared looked at the disappearing soldier and felt so very, very old. And it wasn’t fatigue. He’d dealt with mind-numbing exhaustion before: working on Supernatural had taught him how to run on fumes alone.
But this thing that’s eating away in my mind … in my guts … there’s no healing that. No repairing. I’m going to have to live with the damages somehow.
But how?
Jensen nudged him. “Let’s get something to drink, and maybe to eat.”
Jared felt numb and hollow after what had happened and had absolutely no appetite, but he needed company, and Jensen always brought with him a kind of peace that Jared couldn’t generate even if his soul depended on it.
The two men stumbled into the kitchen and took turns taking drinks from the tap, both grateful for the cold water. Jared sat on the floor, leaning back on the refrigerator.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I can’t believe I just froze.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jensen said as he munched on a slice of Wonder Bread. “It wasn’t Meghan, okay? Just think about that and don’t … think about anything else.”
Jared understood and accepted Jensen’s reticence. His friend didn’t have any time to process what he’d done but Jared wanted to be there for him when Jensen finally did.
Jensen wasn’t by nature what one would call a ‘sensitive soul’, but he had the habit of going over things until it gave him a migraine. So, it naturally fell on Jared to snap Jensen out of his cycle, at least until Danni.
But even then nothing changed much, at least on set, Jared thought with a drop of smugness. So, he sat back, forced himself to relax and watch Jensen as he slowly unfurled. Bit by bit, Jensen went through his ritual; one that Jared had become very familiar with over the years.
First, Jensen rolled his head around, stretching his neck muscles. Then, rolling the shoulders; followed by turning his wrists, sometimes cracking them loud enough to startle people around him; for the finale, he scratched his chest and neck.
Jared had no idea what that last part accomplished, only that it was part of Jensen’s ritual.
Jared knew Jensen was finally relaxed enough when his shoulders sank. Without warning he was washed with a feeling so powerful it was almost childlike in its intensity and clarity.
Closing his eyes, Jared gave a small sigh and finally surrendered to what he’d known since their second year of working together.
I’m in love with him. And the truth is it’s only as difficult as I want it to be, and so fucking simple if I choose it to be.
Jared looked at his hands, struggling with the sudden dry mouth. My life is a fucking train wreck. And whose fault it that?
It was then he realized he hadn’t thought about Gen for over a day, and Jared wanted nothing more than feel guilty for being a grade-A scumbag. But all he could drudge up was … exhaustion.
“Hey, why don’t you get some shut-eye?” Jensen asked.
Jared nodded slowly, “Yeah, sounds like a good idea.”
“I’ll see if David needs anything.”
“You’re going to wake me up this time?”
“Hell yes, I’m just as tired as you.”
Jared managed to stumble his way back to the bedroom where he found Emily and Andrea curled up in a corner, fast asleep.
Jared lay down between them and the door, and pulled up his sleeping bag over him like a shield. It took him only few moments before falling asleep; his exhaustion acting mercifully by granting him dreamless night.
Jared felt a gentle shake and muttered, “Five more minutes.”
“Jared,” a soft female voice said. “It’s eight.”
Because it was a woman’s voice, Jared woke up to find Emily peering down with a smile.
“Fuck him,” Jared growled, sitting up. “Jensen…”
“Fell asleep on the sofa,” Emily said. “David was done an hour after you guys came back. He relieved Jensen.”
“Okay, that’s better,” Jared said sheepishly.
“The way this is going, Andrea’s going to collect enough from the swear jar to finance her college education.”
Jared grinned. “And med school if it suits her.”
“There’s cereal and milk for breakfast; and Jensen somehow made coffee. It’s still hot.”
Jared’s grin widened. “You have to understand Jensen, when it comes to coffee, he’s Einstein, Feynman, and Newton combined. Starbucks should be on their knees, thanking the good Lord he never got into the coffee business.”
Emily stepped back, allowing Jared to stand up. “Thank you for what you did last night.”
Jared remembered what he did, and more importantly what he didn’t. His appetite disappeared with the picture of Meghan and the shovel embedded in her head.
“Are you all right?” Emily asked, leaning forward to touch him.
Jared shied back. “Yeah, we came across some infected people.”
Emily mouthed a silent ‘oh’ and said nothing, allowing Jared to escape. He found the cereal in the bowl with the milk already poured. He dove into the food even though his appetite was gone. The last thing they needed was for him to pass out or worse - have him unable to do something that was required of him.
He finished the entire bowl and didn’t leave a drop of milk behind. Jared peeked into the living room and found Jensen asleep on the sofa, curled up like a cat. It was then, with his face in full daylight, that Jared saw the narrowing cheeks, the dark circles under the eyes, and the chapped lips.
He’s literally working himself to the grave, Jared concluded. Jesus, how could I have missed this?
Jared examined Jensen’s hands and gently touched the skin. When he pinched it, it didn’t snap back but instead slowly sank, as if its elasticity was weakening.
Dehydration and malnutrition probably, Jared concluded. He tried to remember when was the last time he’d seen Jensen eat and couldn’t. Jared closed his eyes and kicked himself.
Jensen often skipped his meals whenever he was under pressure. It wasn’t obvious unless one knew about the propensity, and it had taken Jared almost a full season of working with Jensen before catching on.
And let’s face it, he’s under pressure like never before. Not that I’m a help in that department. Jared steeled himself then. Got to pull my fucking weight. He’s not Dean, I’m not Sam, and this isn’t some fucking show.
Jared returned to the kitchen, poured cereal into a bowl and placed it on the table in front of Jensen. He scribbled a hasty note, making sure his frustration came across:
Eat, you stubborn SOB. No matter what anybody says, you’re not invincible.
He returned to the kitchen to find Emily braiding Andrea’s hair, whispering things that probably had little value to anyone else save the little girl.
“Are boys allowed?” Jared asked.
Andrea scrunched his face and said, “I don’t know. But I think you’d be okay.”
“Oh, and why is that?” Jared sat across from Andrea.
“Because your hair’s long enough,” Emily teased, smiling around the barrette in her mouth.
Jared made a rude noise before grinning. He heard a gentle thump emanating from the back of the house and said, “Hey, I’ll be back in a second, okay?”
He made his way to the bedroom where they’d dumped the ham radio, dreading and yet excited to find what David had done. The first thing Jared noticed was that it looked like Radio Shack regurgitated all its wares into the tiny bedroom. Wires were dangling from the ceiling fan, stripped to reveal its copper filaments. There was even a lawnmower sitting in a corner, tilted at a crazy angle.
“Do I even want to know?” Jared quipped as he walked in.
“Probably not,” David said. “I had to raid just about everywhere,” he raised a cautionary finger, “but not the lab, to get what I needed.”
“How’s it working?”
“So far? Good. I started getting reception about twenty minutes ago, and the chatter’s all about what’s happening here. If Uncle Sam’s having a bitch of a time shutting down these waves, I hate to think what’s happening on the internet.”
“Whatever it is, I hope the message is getting out.”
“I didn’t remember until you guys fell asleep, but I’ve got a buddy in the unit who loves this shit. I’ve been trying to get on his band but it’s jammed.”
Jared turned to him. “Jammed?”
“Yeah,” David said. “Thompson chats every minute he can get, and he’s gone, totally gone.”
Jared heard the concern in David’s voice, and was smart enough to remain quiet. As he expected the silence worked.
“I think someone must have tried to reach someone not on the A-list,” David finally said. “So, the brass shut everything down.”
“A-list?”
“Approved group of people,” David clarified.
“But you couldn’t tell them anything, right?” Jared probed. “I mean the silent order had to be a blanket.”
David nodded. “Yeah, it was. But … well, there are ways to tell something to someone without saying anything.”
“I see.”
“But that won’t work if you can’t contact anyone,” David said.
“But does that mean they can’t listen?” Jared looked at the radio. “Look, maybe someone’s listening, not your friend, but wouldn’t it make sense that all channels are being monitored, just in case?”
“That just means we have to be even more careful,” David said. “Because you don’t know who is listening. And some of them…”
“Could be nuttier than a Payday Bar?”
David grimaced and shrugged. “Paranoia doesn’t run short in the military. In fact, next to shit rolling down, it’s the second most popular by-product in the Pentagon.”
“But we need someone in the outside world to know about this.”
David shook his head slowly as if Jared wasn’t getting what he was trying to explain. “I agree with you on that. It’s just that there are people I know who wouldn’t say anything. They’d probably just turn off the radio and walk away.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ve got no imagination and hate the idea of … well, the weird, let’s say.”
Jared had to take a moment to process that. “Still, we have to take a risk, right?”
“Yeah, we do,” David agreed reluctantly. “Boy, this is going to suck.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to have to broadcast 24/7 and use all the bands.”
“We need a script,” Jared thought out. “Something short but telling. And we have to make sure it’s informative but not scary. The last thing we need is for the military to decide nuking Santos is the best option.”
“Exactly,” David paused. “So, you and Jensen? You guys can cough up something, right?”
Jared didn’t want to volunteer Jensen so he said, “Let me write up something.”
David looked at his watch. “I better check on Syd. See if he wants to take a piss or something.”
“Where is he?”
David’s grin was sour. “Follow me.”
He had Syd penned in the guest bathroom. In the twelve hours Jared hadn’t seen the man, Syd had gone through a remarkable metamorphosis. He looked like he’d dropped at least ten pounds though that wasn’t obvious from his swollen face. Jared thought the guy had a broken nose, maybe even a cracked orbit. And the baleful glare that had burned before was now extinguished.
Syd looked like a school bully who found the boy he’d been picking on turn into a great white. And a hungry one at that.
“You’re going to behave?” David asked amiably.
Syd opened his mouth but then got wise. He gave a nod instead.
“Good, because the last thing we need is to scare Andrea and Emily like you did yesterday,” David said, his tone still conversational and light. “Because you do that and attract attention from the sick? Well, I won’t have any choice but to throw you out the nearest window to give us a head start.
“You hearing me?”
Jared could see Syd imagining just that scenario, so he wasn’t at all surprised to see Syd’s second nod to be great deal more enthusiastic than the first one.
“All right then,” David said. He leaned over and untied a knot so complex that Jared knew it would need at least two hands to work it out.
Syd rubbed his bruised wrists and slowly stood up from the tub. Jared realized David had given the guy just enough rope to sleep in the tub and take a piss in the toilet.
Gave him the ability to keep his dignity instead of tying him to a chair, Jared concluded. That way Syd wouldn’t be psychotically pissed when David came by.
Jared took the lead with Syd sandwiched between him and David as they made their way down the hall. Emily was with Andrea in the living room while Jensen was in the kitchen, munching on the dry cereal Jared had left for him. His eyes went cold and flat the moment he saw Syd.
Jared poured a bowl of corn flakes for Syd who devoured it quickly and also made quick work of the water David gave to him.
“We’re good, Dave,” Jared said. “Why don’t you go back to the ham radio?”
David gave Syd a leveled glance. “Sure, call me if you need anything.”
Jensen rinsed his bowl once with water then drank it. He then meticulously dried it with a dishtowel before putting it away.
“Thanks for the breakfast,” Jensen said.
“Not a problem,” Jared answered.
“We have a ham radio?” Syd asked in a halting tone.
“Yep,” Jensen answered. “Went out last night to get it.”
Syd’s eyes widened. “You went out? At night?”
“Had no choice.”
“Any news?” Syd looked out the window. “Anything at all?”
“So far not much,” Jared answered diplomatically. “Not that I’m surprised.”
Syd shook his head. “There should be some chatter, I wonder if it’s the same for the radio.”
“I checked earlier,” Emily said. “There’s just static.”
“Just because there’s nothing on the FM doesn’t mean the same for the AM,” Syd shot back.
“Why do you say that?” Jared asked casually.
“Santos gets reception from Canadian radio stations, and they’re all on the AM dial,” Syd explained. “DC could silence our radio stations but they’re going to have a bitch of a time trying to quiet down our neighbor’s.”
Jensen exchanged glances with Jared. “We could try later.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Jared said. “Thanks, Syd.” Even though he didn’t feel a drop of gratitude, Jared wanted Syd to feel obligated enough to reciprocate his appreciation by behaving.
The fake congeniality lasted few more minutes before David returned. “Okay, Syd, time to go back.”
“Fuck, man, I learned my lesson, okay?” Syd pleaded. “I swear…”
“You tried to choke Emily, and then you tried to bash my skull in,” David said in a reasonable tone. “Sorry, that’s one bill you won’t be able to pay up so easily.”
David pulled Syd off the stool and half-dragged him out of the kitchen. Jared could hear Syd’s protests and promises as he was led away. When the bathroom door closed behind them, Jared breathed sigh of relief.
“Wow, that sucked,” Jensen voiced Jared’s thoughts. “Between a case of head lice and watching a football game with Syd, I’d choose the lice, but still…”
“Yeah, I know.” Jared looked at the radio shoved into a corner above the refrigerator. “You want to try it?”
“Is it battery-run?” Jensen asked.
Jared pulled it down and checked. “Yeah, it is.”
“AM then, and let’s keep the volume low, just in case.”
Jared closed his eyes and threw a prayer before turning it on. There was a lot of white noise. The first channel that came through was, as expected, a holy-roller station. And the speaker was on fire.
“Brimstone and Hell hath come to those sinners in the…”
Jared continued to scan. He would've missed it but Jensen stopped him from scrolling further.
“So, now, Amazon has declared war alongside Microsoft,” the speaker said in a tight voice. “Their servers have become shall we say uncooperative? And Seattle bloggers have earned maybe twenty-four hour respite from being shut down. To tell the truth it’s been nothing short of a miracle that they’ve been able to communicate this long.
“As for Bill Gates’ whereabouts, nobody has a clue and that includes the Pentagon, the CIA, and the FBI. And I say, good for him! Glad to see somebody had the stones to stand up for what’s right! So, Billy, if you’re listening, bless you for what you’ve done. And for the assholes who are trying to undo his masterpiece - if you think you’re going to be able to unravel his virus: good fucking luck.”
There was a pause and soft voices in the background. “Okay, I have to sign off now before we get traced. So, tune in on the same bat channel at the same bat time. And we’ll try our best not to get our asses arrested before then.
“Take care, wherever you are.”
Part IV * Conclusion
Author name: frostian
Artist name: thruterryseyes
Genre: RPS
Pairing: JA/JP
Rating: R for language and violence
Word count: ~49k
Warnings: Artistic license taken and abused.
Summary: Jared and Jensen take a road trip to Seattle only to witness what looks like the Apocalypse overwhelm the city. They manage to escape to an island only to discover the situation on Santos to be worse than Seattle. But they cannot leave, as the infected roam freely and the military has set up blockades around the island. Faced with immeasurable horror and growing desperation Jared and Jensen plan an escape, not only to save themselves but the sick who are quickly turning into homicidal psychopaths.
Disclaimer: So much fiction, it could be spotted from an orbiting satellite!
Emily looked completely dumbfounded while David schooled his expression to one of doubt as Jared and Jensen explained what they’d found downstairs.
“Tony had a very important job at a biotech company,” Emily cautiously reminded them. “It makes sense he built a lab for himself here.”
“Guys, do you know how crazy that sounds?” David stated bluntly.
“Look, maybe we’re wrong,” Jared said, “but you have to admit, it deserves a harder look by someone who’s more qualified.”
David sighed and rubbed his face. “I’ll be right back.”
They heard him thudding down the stairs, but when he reached the basement there was only quiet. Then they heard David return, this time his footsteps almost at a dead sprint. “Shit,” he said. “Look, I’m a mechanic for the Army. I have no fucking clue who to call. The best I can do is my Sergeant.”
“Then call him.”
“How?” David asked. “Cell service is down.”
“Landline?” Jensen asked.
“Spotty at best,” Emily said. She paused for a moment. “Wait a minute … James has a ham radio.”
“What’s that?” David asked.
“And the age gap ever widens,” Emily said. “Donovan James was a friend of my husband’s. He is an avid amateur radio enthusiast. The only problem is he lives almost a mile from here.”
“Tell us how to get to his place,” Jensen said, “and we’ll see if we can get it.”
“Guys, I don’t know what this ham radio is much less how to operate it,” David protested. “And the last thing you need to do is risk your…”
“We’ll worry about that when we get there,” Jared said. “We could get a manual or something. But what we need right now is a way for you to contact your Sarge.”
“This is way too important for us to just sit on,” Jensen said. “Someone has to take a look at this.”
“All right, all right,” David conceded. “I’ll think of something.”
Jared felt the bottom of his stomach plummet as Emily drew them a rough map to James’ house. Fuck, it’s on the other side of town. We’d have to cross that burned-out hellhole and probably the infected to get to the damn place.
Jensen must have come to the same conclusion because his face paled while the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. “We’ll go at twilight,” he said in a tight voice.
“What about me?” David asked. “Maybe I should go instead. If there is a radio and I can work it, I’ll be right there to...”
“It’ll be too dangerous for you,” Jared explained. “We can’t risk have anything happen to you since you’re the only contact the outside world will trust. Jensen and I are worth shit-on-a-stick when it comes to the Army but not you.”
David raised his hand. “Mechanic, and not a very good one at that.”
“Better than anybody else in this room,” Jensen said. “You stay put.”
“Emily, is it something we can carry?” Jared asked.
“Yes. James is obsessed about his hobby. He always had to have the latest and the greatest, and I remember they got smaller with each new model.”
“Hopefully that means the handbook’s still around,” Jared said.
They waited impatiently for the sun to wane. This time they were wise enough not to tell anything to Andrea who went to be early. Jared was worried about her. He knew oversleeping was a sign of depression, but for all he knew Andrea really did need the rest.
It was almost nine before the sky began to darken. David made sure they were outfitted correctly, and Emily gave them a small backpack filled with food and two bottles of water in case they had to stay away for the night. She also took the time to draw a better map than the first one.
Jared looked at Emily’s second map and gave a low whistle of amazement. “This is pretty detailed.”
“It helps that I lived here for twenty years,” Emily said drily. “Just be careful, okay?”
“We will,” Jared said, using the same tone he’d use on his mother when she set to fretting.
He heard David speaking softly with Jensen but didn’t bother to ask what. He could’ve guessed what the conversation would be about.
Protect them, and if need be, kill the bastard. Don’t think twice.
Something told Jared that the soldier would have very little problem doing anything necessary to protect Emily and Andrea.
The moment they stepped outside the house, Jared felt positively crushed by his fear. For a moment, he couldn’t move and it took Jensen’s “You okay?” for Jared to actually start walking.
“Take a deep breath,” Jensen said. “I know exactly what you’re feeling.”
“No you don’t,” Jared said harshly, “because if you did, you’d be pissing in your pants right now.”
“I went to the bathroom earlier,” was Jensen’s deadpan answer.
Jared appreciated Jensen’s effort to diffuse his fear. “So, we’re sticking by what route exactly?”
“The one that’s not going to take us through Dante’s seventh circle of hell. And hopefully downwind from the smoke.”
Jared was about to ask why when he realized Jensen’s reasons: the smoke would mask any smell coming from them. And though Jared didn’t notice earlier while they were indoors, both he and Jensen smelled ripe.
But soon, Jared focused all his attention on his steps. He was a big guy and until recently he had no need for stealth. He could move easily and quickly for someone his size, but Jared sounded like a tank at full charge. And thus, announcing his presence to anyone within earshot.
One of the main reasons why Jensen was able to dance circles around him whenever they ended up playing against each other in a friendly pick-up game.
Jared heard the twig snap under his boots and mentally winced before swearing softly.
“Dude, you’re not going to be Robin Hood,” Jensen whispered. “Just pay attention to your surroundings, okay?”
Jared did as Jensen suggested. After a few minutes, he felt more relaxed and his steps became lighter as direct result.
Jared smelled the smoke first, even before they were completely off the property’s boundary. And what he thought was twilight’s cast was mostly smoke that had been looming over the town since lack of any substantial breeze.
Jared didn’t want to see but the moment the chance came, he found himself studying the dying husks of Valley.
The fire had taken out the entire town, north to south, east to west. He wondered if the fire was naturally born or if it was created by some manmade desires.
“I wonder if the locals set off the fire in the hopes of scaring off the infected,” Jensen voiced Jared’s unspoken thoughts.
“If they did, it was a pretty fucking bad idea.”
“Yeah.” Jensen pointed to the left of Valley where Jared could see a dirt road, barely visible in the dying light.
“Okay,” Jared said, then after a long pause, “do you see any survivors?”
“No,” Jensen answered flatly, “and if they’re smart, they’ll stay hidden.”
Jared didn’t have anything to say to that so he remained quiet as they made their way around a culvert and rows of hills. Not for the first time, Jared admired Emily’s meticulous work.
By unspoken agreement, they kept off the dirt path and instead walked parallel to it. Twice, they had to duck behind bushes or cluster of trees because of noise. Both times it turned out to be animals.
And they didn’t bring any sort of comfort to Jared. One was a coyote, limping badly. From its torn coat and half-chewed ear, Jared knew it had been in a fight. With a sickening feeling he wondered if it was with another animal or an infected human.
The second was a cluster of house cats. Their march should’ve made Jared smile but instead he felt crawling sense of fear. They were acting like a pack of wild animals, and half of them were bloodied with one whose tail was completely missing. Two still had on collars with bells jingling merrily.
If they find us they’ll attack, just like that dog in Seattle, Jared concluded. But these cats won’t kill themselves. Oh no, they’ve gone completely feral. And they won’t care if we’re bigger. They’ll die trying to take us down.
They waited until the cats were completely out of sight before moving any further.
“So this virus affects animals in different ways,” Jared said.
“Yeah, and none of it’s good for us.”
Jensen sped up his pace and Jared followed. They reached Donovan James’ house as the last of the sun died, painting the horizon red.
Jared took a peek through the window and saw chaos. Overturned furniture and shattered glass littered the floor.
“We’re going through the back,” Jensen said.
Jared gave a tight nod and followed Jensen to the rear of the house to find the kitchen door wide open.
Jared wanted to turn right around and run but he knew they had no choice.
Made it this far, have to find the fucking thing. And then get the hell out.
He smelled death the moment they entered the house: shit, piss, and blood. So Jared was prepared to find a corpse. What he wasn’t prepared for was the condition it was in.
No human being could’ve done that, Jared thought numbly. Then he saw the bite marks on the calves and face and felt his stomach lurch. He quickly decided he’d given the body enough attention and switched his focus to the house.
Jensen slowly cleared the main floor but they didn’t find the radio. Which left the second floor and the basement.
Fuck, not another basement, Jared thought as dismay settled into his bones. Please God, don’t let it be in the basement!
But when Jared saw the old wooden staircase leading upstairs, the basement didn’t look so bad.
How am I suppose keep quiet?
Beads of perspiration dotted Jared’s upper lip and the back of his neck as they slowly crept up the stairs. Unfortunately there was a blind turn at the top, which forced both of them to crane their necks into an uncomfortable position as they made their way to the second floor.
There wasn’t any sound; the deadened air making it almost unbearable for Jared who, in a moment of a nervous fit, wanted to make enough noise to attract elephants in Zimbabwe. Instead, he made a slight hiccupping noise as Jensen tapped him on the shoulder.
Jensen pointed to a bedroom whose door was wide open, with a shadow quivering on its floor.
Jared could’ve danced in relief when he saw the cause of the shadow dancing. A lace curtain was blowing in the wind as the last of the sunlight streamed through, making patterns on the floor. He decided that closing the window would prevent further heart attacks and was slowly lowering it when he caught sight of a familiar figure.
“Oh shit,” he whispered.
Jensen heard him and peeked out to catch a familiar shirt fluttering in the wind.
“Who is that?” he asked.
“Meghan.”
Jensen didn’t have any time to respond. The kitchen door crashed open and though Meghan didn’t say anything, she made enough noises banging downstairs that they knew her location.
It took Jared a moment to realize, “My God, she’s taking the same path we took.”
“Our scent, she can smell us.”
That was enough for the two men to become galvanized. Jared slammed all the doors shut as they made their way down the hall.
“In here,” Jensen said.
They darted into the master bedroom as Meghan’s tread stormed up the stairs. But they immediately stopped at the top.
She can’t smell as well anymore so it’ll be harder for her to track us.
He turned to find Jensen unlocking a French window. When it was open wide enough Jensen looked down to calculate the distance. It must have been doable because he leapt without hesitation.
The jump was at least ten feet but the landing was grass so Jared had enough cushioning to prevent injuries. As he scrambled to his feet, Jared hoped they weren’t heard.
His prayer went unanswered.
Meghan’s pale, ravaged face flashed into view. Then her lips curled upwards, revealing dirty teeth. She banged the window hard enough that a pane broke.
“Run!” Jensen shouted.
Jared hadn’t taken three steps when he heard a crash behind him. Meghan had jumped right through the window. And though parts of her face and arms were shredded into gory ribbons, she came at them, screaming.
Jared didn’t think; he picked up a rock and threw it like it was a baseball. It smashed into her face, sending her reeling backwards. But the shock was only momentary; she got up. And even with one eye and nose smashed in along with her dislocated jaw, she once again charged towards him.
Jared picked up another rock and hurled, but this time he missed.
Jensen did not.
He appeared out of nowhere, and took out Meghan’s knees with a shovel. She fell forward but started crawling towards Jared by raking her fingers like claws through the grass.
Jared stood and watched, not being able to do anything as Jensen raised the shovel over his head. And he still did nothing as Jensen brought it down, wordlessly and swiftly.
The crack wasn’t as loud as Jared thought it’d be, but maybe that was because the virus did something to her skeletal frame. There was only a small squirt of blood and that was all.
Meghan immediately stopped struggling, which made Jared weirdly feel better. That respite was transitory and deceptive: when Jensen released his grip, the shovel remained embedded in Meghan’s skull.
Jared want to empty out his stomach but his terror made that impossible. He was too afraid that the stench would attract more attention. Instead, he crashed to the ground, his ass absorbing all the shock and transmitting none of it to his brain.
“Get up,” Jensen ordered harshly. “We can’t stay out in the open.”
Jared skittled back couple of feet before realizing he had to actually stand. He'd just gotten to his feet when Jensen grabbed him by his arm and forcefully shoved him into the detached garage.
The ancient Dodge Charger parked to one side was so familiar that Jared felt a cramp of nostalgic pain: it reminded him of all his innocent days in Texas.
“Over there,” Jensen said, pointing at the darkened corner of the garage.
Jared saw it: an old carpenter table filled with what he first thought was junk. It was only when he got closer that he saw what could be a ham radio along with a microphone attached.
Okay, this I can do. I can pack the fucking thing and we can get the hell out of here.
Jared pawed through the desk until he found a guide to the brand new equipment. He quickly flipped through it, reading the necessary parts.
“I think we just need the radio and the microphone, nothing else,” Jared said. When Jensen didn’t respond, he turned to discover his friend leaning against the car, hyperventilating and looking greyer by the second.
Jared grabbed him as Jensen’s legs gave way. He wordlessly settled Jensen on the ground, placing him against the car.
“I thought … I thought she’d get up and I would have to smash her skull again,” Jensen confessed between panicky breaths. “And I was sure that I couldn’t do anything if she did. I actually felt happy when she stayed down.”
Jared watched helplessly as Jensen covered his face and began weeping.
“I can’t believe I was happy,” Jensen said over and over.
Jared was unable to say anything of comfort so he instead held Jensen tightly in his arms until Jensen calmed down. The moment he thought Jensen’s equilibrium returned, Jared began swiftly packing everything in a duffel bag he'd brought along while keeping a sharp eye towards his friend. “Do you want to go back now?”
“I don’t know,” Jensen said, “I have no idea if the infected people can see better at night. But what we do know is they can smell better than us.”
Jared quashed the desire to return to Emily and Andrea. Jensen’s right. We’ll be seriously crippled out in the open at night.
“At the same time the longer we stay out here, greater chance of being found.”
“Fucked both ways.”
“Just about.” Jensen took another peek out the window. “I don’t know about you but I’d feel a lot better back with Dave and everyone else. I know we play badasses on television but let’s face it, neither of us are trained to deal with anything like this.”
Coulda fooled me, Jared thought, studying his friend’s pale profile. “So, we head out?”
“Yeah, and we stay downwind of town. Hopefully that will be enough to mask our scent.”
Jared knew his survival instincts should be ringing all its klaxon bells at the thought of going outside. But he wanted comfort and familiarity and miles away from Meghan’s body whose skull still had a shovel sticking out of it like a demented version of a flag planted on a newly-found territory.
“Do you want me to carry the bag?” Jensen asked.
Jared stuck out a mutinous jaw. “No, I can do this.”
“All right,” Jensen handed over a bottle of water. “Finish it. Once we start we’re not stopping until we get to Loony Lucy’s.”
Jared cracked a weak grin. “That sounds like we’re going to drop by a cathouse.”
“Don’t we wish.”
As usual, Jensen took point but this time he slowed down considerably so Jared could keep up.
“I can go faster,” Jared whispered after few minutes. He’d gotten used to the weight and truth be told, the equipment wasn’t at all heavy. His training included lugging weights in a specially-made backpack and his trainer went up to forty pounds, all the while upping the running miles from two to five.
Jared fully expected to hear something, anything, but the silence that reigned over them was eerie. No raccoons, not even possums. Nothing.
Jared shuddered as he thought about where they could’ve gone. A sudden breeze carried the scent of the ocean towards him, turning his trembling into something more violent.
“Shit,” Jensen said.
It was then Jared figured out they lost the downwind advantage. “Let’s hurry up.”
The two men began jogging as quietly as possible, but their increasing speed confessed their slowly rising panic. They were almost past Valley when the first howl reached them.
Please God, let that be a wolf, Jared prayed. Or some rabid dog or…
The following howls, though bizarre, were familiar enough for them to realize that they were ululations from human beings.
Without a word, they began running, abandoning any hope of silence. Because Jensen carried nothing, he was few yards ahead. Then, as if by magic, he disappeared.
Jared came to a stuttering halt and looked around. “What…”
“Down here!” Jensen’s voice echoed from the forest floor.
Jared looked down and saw Jensen’s pale face. It looked like he’d fallen into a disused storm cellar.
Jared jumped as if goosed when a howl sounded like it came from only few feet to his left. “Is there a door?” he hissed.
Jensen looked around then approached the wall to his right. He pushed with all his strength and a hidden door widened to reveal a narrow hallway. That was all Jared needed. He leapt down and almost shoved Jensen into the corridor before shutting the door behind them.
Not a moment later, snarling and other bestial noises cascaded from above.
Please God, don’t let them fall in. Don’t let them fall in, Jared prayed even when the sounds faded away.
Jensen tugged at his shirt, signaling that they would have to move inwards, into the darkness. Jared wanted nothing more than to stay put but he knew they had little choice. With reluctant steps, he followed Jensen down the passage, his arms spread out wide, allowing him to touch the walls on either side.
They’re bricks, Jared concluded. Someone took care building this place. Why?
Jared guessed they walked at least thirty feet before he heard Jensen fumbling. Then a thin LED beam illuminated their path.
Jared had braced himself for the Boogeyman standing not three feet away from them but all he saw was a passage so deep that the flashlight’s reach couldn’t illuminate.
“What is this place?” Jensen asked.
“You know, it might have been built in the twenties,” Jared whispered. “Back in Prohibition days, these islands were used for bootlegging. Smugglers brought in stuff all the time from Canada.”
“Okay,” Jensen said. “So do you have any idea where it could end?”
“Probably near the water,” Jared answered. “Best way to smuggle booze into town without getting noticed.”
“Could there be other entrances?”
“Probably.”
“Then we have to be extra careful, because there might be people down here.”
Jared frowned and then said, “But wouldn’t…”
“They wouldn’t be glad to see strangers. They might even react violently.”
Then there was the unspoken agreement about what else could be down in the tunnels: infected animals, infected humans.
Without a word, they stuck closer than ever, Jared matching Jensen’s speed as they made their way through the tunnel. After walking what seemed like half the island, they came to a split in the path. One was still lined with bricks- the other, dirt.
“Which one do you think?” Jensen whispered.
“I’m guessing the one with brick walls is going to lead us into the island, the other probably to a beach.”
Jensen looked at Jared. “Why do you think that?”
“A tunnel coming in from the beach is not going to be bricked up - would catch attention way too easily.”
“Of course.” Jensen turned the light towards the one hopefully leading away from the island’s center. “So we go this way?”
“Yeah.”
It was the sound of the ocean and not its scent that reached them first.
“Oh thank God,” Jared said.
Jensen shushed him. Jared took the gentle rebuke without any resentment, and enjoyed the familiar rhythm of waves washing ashore. It was then he heard another sound, subtle and distinct; similar to the noise Gen would make when she clicked her fingernails on a solid surface due to stress.
“What the hell…”
Jensen’s confusion completely grabbed Jared’s attention. He looked at what the beam of light was pointing at. It took him a moment to figure out the bundle was a blanket wrapped around the corpse.
Jackie’s corpse.
“Oh Jesus,” he managed to croak out. Now the cave was only too familiar. Then the clicking noises returned. He examined the body a bit closer and saw ripples under the blanket.
“That can’t be happening,” Jensen said flatly.
“Can’t be,” Jared echoed.
But the movements became more and more pronounced. Jared tensed up as Jensen leaned down slightly in order to focus the beam on the body. He didn’t have to go far. Something crawled out of the blanket from Jackie’s head.
Jensen withdrew, his lips peeled back in a grimace. “Crabs.”
In its claws was a hank of dirty blonde hair.
Jared had forgotten: crabs were foragers and would eat anything including human flesh. And Jensen’s urine wouldn’t be a deterrent against the crabs.
Jared felt his stomach roil as he suddenly remembered all the times he gorged on seafood.
“I’m going to be sick,” Jensen said, then pressed a fist against his mouth.
“The vomit comet’s already occupied.”
Jensen made a choking noise, alarming Jared. He turned to look at Jensen and found his friend fighting back a smile. Jared didn’t know how his off-handed comment could possibly be construed as humorous. But seeing Jensen’s humor return if only briefly was rewarding enough for him not to ask.
They moved around the body, scrupulously ignoring the crunching noises as they stepped on the scavengers that had recently feasted on Jackie’s corpse. Nevertheless, Jared took brutish pleasure as he stepped on as many as possible while they made their way towards the cave’s entrance.
The night air was refreshing, as the wind seemed to have kept its course away from the burnt town. But this meant they had to be extremely careful as they made their way up the cliffside and to the house.
Jared almost broke into tears when he saw the familiar rundown shack. There weren’t any lights, but he spotted fluttering of curtains in the kitchen window which told him of a presence: a presence with a sane mind.
They took a path lit with moonlight in the hopes that David would recognize them. The door was locked only for a moment. Then it swung open with no one in sight. They stumbled in, both taking deep breaths of stale air with gusto.
“Damn good to see you,” David said, holstering the gun.
Jared pointed to the duffle bag. “We got it.”
Dave smiled. “Good.”
“Did anything happen?”
“Syd started crying,” David said, his exasperation making him speak faster. “Emily felt sorry for him. I got to them before it was too late.”
“Crocodile tears?” Jensen asked. “He was trying to escape, right?”
“Yeah, but I had a talk with him and made him see the error of his ways.”
Jared gave a dry chuckle. “Did you let him change his pants afterwards?”
David shrugged. “Had to. It’ll be a while before he gets another bright idea.”
“Good job,” Jensen warmly praised the soldier, unwittingly generating a hot flash of jealousy from Jared.
David gave them another, longer look-over and said, “I’m guessing you guys ran into problems and not small ones either.”
Jared grinded out, “Something like that.”
“Let’s set this up.” Jensen pointed to the bag. “One of the bedrooms in the back would probably be best.”
It wasn’t until they had set out the equipment on the bed that they saw another, equally pressing problem.
“What in hell are we going to use as a power source?” Jensen asked.
“That’s not a problem,” David answered. “I can hook up a car battery to the radio.”
“Is there electricity?” Jared asked.
“It’s been spotty,” David said as he started flipping through the manual. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the microwave. It’s been going on and off at least a dozen times since you guys left.”
“Could that damage the radio?” Jensen asked.
“Definitely, this house is too old to have GFIs and we can’t risk having a surge destroy this.” David patted the radio and took a glance at its back panel. “Yeah, it won’t take much. Is there a car battery? Or a car?”
Jared closed his eyes and recollected what he’d seen in the barn. “There is. It’s old but not rusted. Actually there were few.”
“Where?” Jensen looked at Jared in confusion. “I don’t remember seeing any.”
“In the barn. Behind the stack of wood at the right … towards the back, one on the shelf and three sitting on the table.”
“Impressive memory you got there,” David said.
“What else do you need?” Jensen asked.
Jared realized what Jensen was saying. “We’re going to wait until daylight. I don’t know about you but I’m done for the night.”
“Maybe we could cannibalize what we need from downstairs,” David said.
“I wouldn’t touch anything in the lab,” Jared said quickly. “We can’t disturb the evidence and the last thing we need is stir up more shit.”
David paled slightly. “Okay, so no touching Dr. Frankenstein’s lair.”
“As soon as daylight comes, we have to start broadcasting,” Jared said. “Can you start working on it now? Do what you can?”
David took the duffle bag and a flashlight from Jensen. “I’ll get on it.”
His steps were light and quick as he made his way to the kitchen. Jared looked at the disappearing soldier and felt so very, very old. And it wasn’t fatigue. He’d dealt with mind-numbing exhaustion before: working on Supernatural had taught him how to run on fumes alone.
But this thing that’s eating away in my mind … in my guts … there’s no healing that. No repairing. I’m going to have to live with the damages somehow.
But how?
Jensen nudged him. “Let’s get something to drink, and maybe to eat.”
Jared felt numb and hollow after what had happened and had absolutely no appetite, but he needed company, and Jensen always brought with him a kind of peace that Jared couldn’t generate even if his soul depended on it.
The two men stumbled into the kitchen and took turns taking drinks from the tap, both grateful for the cold water. Jared sat on the floor, leaning back on the refrigerator.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I can’t believe I just froze.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jensen said as he munched on a slice of Wonder Bread. “It wasn’t Meghan, okay? Just think about that and don’t … think about anything else.”
Jared understood and accepted Jensen’s reticence. His friend didn’t have any time to process what he’d done but Jared wanted to be there for him when Jensen finally did.
Jensen wasn’t by nature what one would call a ‘sensitive soul’, but he had the habit of going over things until it gave him a migraine. So, it naturally fell on Jared to snap Jensen out of his cycle, at least until Danni.
But even then nothing changed much, at least on set, Jared thought with a drop of smugness. So, he sat back, forced himself to relax and watch Jensen as he slowly unfurled. Bit by bit, Jensen went through his ritual; one that Jared had become very familiar with over the years.
First, Jensen rolled his head around, stretching his neck muscles. Then, rolling the shoulders; followed by turning his wrists, sometimes cracking them loud enough to startle people around him; for the finale, he scratched his chest and neck.
Jared had no idea what that last part accomplished, only that it was part of Jensen’s ritual.
Jared knew Jensen was finally relaxed enough when his shoulders sank. Without warning he was washed with a feeling so powerful it was almost childlike in its intensity and clarity.
Closing his eyes, Jared gave a small sigh and finally surrendered to what he’d known since their second year of working together.
I’m in love with him. And the truth is it’s only as difficult as I want it to be, and so fucking simple if I choose it to be.
Jared looked at his hands, struggling with the sudden dry mouth. My life is a fucking train wreck. And whose fault it that?
It was then he realized he hadn’t thought about Gen for over a day, and Jared wanted nothing more than feel guilty for being a grade-A scumbag. But all he could drudge up was … exhaustion.
“Hey, why don’t you get some shut-eye?” Jensen asked.
Jared nodded slowly, “Yeah, sounds like a good idea.”
“I’ll see if David needs anything.”
“You’re going to wake me up this time?”
“Hell yes, I’m just as tired as you.”
Jared managed to stumble his way back to the bedroom where he found Emily and Andrea curled up in a corner, fast asleep.
Jared lay down between them and the door, and pulled up his sleeping bag over him like a shield. It took him only few moments before falling asleep; his exhaustion acting mercifully by granting him dreamless night.
Jared felt a gentle shake and muttered, “Five more minutes.”
“Jared,” a soft female voice said. “It’s eight.”
Because it was a woman’s voice, Jared woke up to find Emily peering down with a smile.
“Fuck him,” Jared growled, sitting up. “Jensen…”
“Fell asleep on the sofa,” Emily said. “David was done an hour after you guys came back. He relieved Jensen.”
“Okay, that’s better,” Jared said sheepishly.
“The way this is going, Andrea’s going to collect enough from the swear jar to finance her college education.”
Jared grinned. “And med school if it suits her.”
“There’s cereal and milk for breakfast; and Jensen somehow made coffee. It’s still hot.”
Jared’s grin widened. “You have to understand Jensen, when it comes to coffee, he’s Einstein, Feynman, and Newton combined. Starbucks should be on their knees, thanking the good Lord he never got into the coffee business.”
Emily stepped back, allowing Jared to stand up. “Thank you for what you did last night.”
Jared remembered what he did, and more importantly what he didn’t. His appetite disappeared with the picture of Meghan and the shovel embedded in her head.
“Are you all right?” Emily asked, leaning forward to touch him.
Jared shied back. “Yeah, we came across some infected people.”
Emily mouthed a silent ‘oh’ and said nothing, allowing Jared to escape. He found the cereal in the bowl with the milk already poured. He dove into the food even though his appetite was gone. The last thing they needed was for him to pass out or worse - have him unable to do something that was required of him.
He finished the entire bowl and didn’t leave a drop of milk behind. Jared peeked into the living room and found Jensen asleep on the sofa, curled up like a cat. It was then, with his face in full daylight, that Jared saw the narrowing cheeks, the dark circles under the eyes, and the chapped lips.
He’s literally working himself to the grave, Jared concluded. Jesus, how could I have missed this?
Jared examined Jensen’s hands and gently touched the skin. When he pinched it, it didn’t snap back but instead slowly sank, as if its elasticity was weakening.
Dehydration and malnutrition probably, Jared concluded. He tried to remember when was the last time he’d seen Jensen eat and couldn’t. Jared closed his eyes and kicked himself.
Jensen often skipped his meals whenever he was under pressure. It wasn’t obvious unless one knew about the propensity, and it had taken Jared almost a full season of working with Jensen before catching on.
And let’s face it, he’s under pressure like never before. Not that I’m a help in that department. Jared steeled himself then. Got to pull my fucking weight. He’s not Dean, I’m not Sam, and this isn’t some fucking show.
Jared returned to the kitchen, poured cereal into a bowl and placed it on the table in front of Jensen. He scribbled a hasty note, making sure his frustration came across:
Eat, you stubborn SOB. No matter what anybody says, you’re not invincible.
He returned to the kitchen to find Emily braiding Andrea’s hair, whispering things that probably had little value to anyone else save the little girl.
“Are boys allowed?” Jared asked.
Andrea scrunched his face and said, “I don’t know. But I think you’d be okay.”
“Oh, and why is that?” Jared sat across from Andrea.
“Because your hair’s long enough,” Emily teased, smiling around the barrette in her mouth.
Jared made a rude noise before grinning. He heard a gentle thump emanating from the back of the house and said, “Hey, I’ll be back in a second, okay?”
He made his way to the bedroom where they’d dumped the ham radio, dreading and yet excited to find what David had done. The first thing Jared noticed was that it looked like Radio Shack regurgitated all its wares into the tiny bedroom. Wires were dangling from the ceiling fan, stripped to reveal its copper filaments. There was even a lawnmower sitting in a corner, tilted at a crazy angle.
“Do I even want to know?” Jared quipped as he walked in.
“Probably not,” David said. “I had to raid just about everywhere,” he raised a cautionary finger, “but not the lab, to get what I needed.”
“How’s it working?”
“So far? Good. I started getting reception about twenty minutes ago, and the chatter’s all about what’s happening here. If Uncle Sam’s having a bitch of a time shutting down these waves, I hate to think what’s happening on the internet.”
“Whatever it is, I hope the message is getting out.”
“I didn’t remember until you guys fell asleep, but I’ve got a buddy in the unit who loves this shit. I’ve been trying to get on his band but it’s jammed.”
Jared turned to him. “Jammed?”
“Yeah,” David said. “Thompson chats every minute he can get, and he’s gone, totally gone.”
Jared heard the concern in David’s voice, and was smart enough to remain quiet. As he expected the silence worked.
“I think someone must have tried to reach someone not on the A-list,” David finally said. “So, the brass shut everything down.”
“A-list?”
“Approved group of people,” David clarified.
“But you couldn’t tell them anything, right?” Jared probed. “I mean the silent order had to be a blanket.”
David nodded. “Yeah, it was. But … well, there are ways to tell something to someone without saying anything.”
“I see.”
“But that won’t work if you can’t contact anyone,” David said.
“But does that mean they can’t listen?” Jared looked at the radio. “Look, maybe someone’s listening, not your friend, but wouldn’t it make sense that all channels are being monitored, just in case?”
“That just means we have to be even more careful,” David said. “Because you don’t know who is listening. And some of them…”
“Could be nuttier than a Payday Bar?”
David grimaced and shrugged. “Paranoia doesn’t run short in the military. In fact, next to shit rolling down, it’s the second most popular by-product in the Pentagon.”
“But we need someone in the outside world to know about this.”
David shook his head slowly as if Jared wasn’t getting what he was trying to explain. “I agree with you on that. It’s just that there are people I know who wouldn’t say anything. They’d probably just turn off the radio and walk away.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ve got no imagination and hate the idea of … well, the weird, let’s say.”
Jared had to take a moment to process that. “Still, we have to take a risk, right?”
“Yeah, we do,” David agreed reluctantly. “Boy, this is going to suck.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to have to broadcast 24/7 and use all the bands.”
“We need a script,” Jared thought out. “Something short but telling. And we have to make sure it’s informative but not scary. The last thing we need is for the military to decide nuking Santos is the best option.”
“Exactly,” David paused. “So, you and Jensen? You guys can cough up something, right?”
Jared didn’t want to volunteer Jensen so he said, “Let me write up something.”
David looked at his watch. “I better check on Syd. See if he wants to take a piss or something.”
“Where is he?”
David’s grin was sour. “Follow me.”
He had Syd penned in the guest bathroom. In the twelve hours Jared hadn’t seen the man, Syd had gone through a remarkable metamorphosis. He looked like he’d dropped at least ten pounds though that wasn’t obvious from his swollen face. Jared thought the guy had a broken nose, maybe even a cracked orbit. And the baleful glare that had burned before was now extinguished.
Syd looked like a school bully who found the boy he’d been picking on turn into a great white. And a hungry one at that.
“You’re going to behave?” David asked amiably.
Syd opened his mouth but then got wise. He gave a nod instead.
“Good, because the last thing we need is to scare Andrea and Emily like you did yesterday,” David said, his tone still conversational and light. “Because you do that and attract attention from the sick? Well, I won’t have any choice but to throw you out the nearest window to give us a head start.
“You hearing me?”
Jared could see Syd imagining just that scenario, so he wasn’t at all surprised to see Syd’s second nod to be great deal more enthusiastic than the first one.
“All right then,” David said. He leaned over and untied a knot so complex that Jared knew it would need at least two hands to work it out.
Syd rubbed his bruised wrists and slowly stood up from the tub. Jared realized David had given the guy just enough rope to sleep in the tub and take a piss in the toilet.
Gave him the ability to keep his dignity instead of tying him to a chair, Jared concluded. That way Syd wouldn’t be psychotically pissed when David came by.
Jared took the lead with Syd sandwiched between him and David as they made their way down the hall. Emily was with Andrea in the living room while Jensen was in the kitchen, munching on the dry cereal Jared had left for him. His eyes went cold and flat the moment he saw Syd.
Jared poured a bowl of corn flakes for Syd who devoured it quickly and also made quick work of the water David gave to him.
“We’re good, Dave,” Jared said. “Why don’t you go back to the ham radio?”
David gave Syd a leveled glance. “Sure, call me if you need anything.”
Jensen rinsed his bowl once with water then drank it. He then meticulously dried it with a dishtowel before putting it away.
“Thanks for the breakfast,” Jensen said.
“Not a problem,” Jared answered.
“We have a ham radio?” Syd asked in a halting tone.
“Yep,” Jensen answered. “Went out last night to get it.”
Syd’s eyes widened. “You went out? At night?”
“Had no choice.”
“Any news?” Syd looked out the window. “Anything at all?”
“So far not much,” Jared answered diplomatically. “Not that I’m surprised.”
Syd shook his head. “There should be some chatter, I wonder if it’s the same for the radio.”
“I checked earlier,” Emily said. “There’s just static.”
“Just because there’s nothing on the FM doesn’t mean the same for the AM,” Syd shot back.
“Why do you say that?” Jared asked casually.
“Santos gets reception from Canadian radio stations, and they’re all on the AM dial,” Syd explained. “DC could silence our radio stations but they’re going to have a bitch of a time trying to quiet down our neighbor’s.”
Jensen exchanged glances with Jared. “We could try later.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Jared said. “Thanks, Syd.” Even though he didn’t feel a drop of gratitude, Jared wanted Syd to feel obligated enough to reciprocate his appreciation by behaving.
The fake congeniality lasted few more minutes before David returned. “Okay, Syd, time to go back.”
“Fuck, man, I learned my lesson, okay?” Syd pleaded. “I swear…”
“You tried to choke Emily, and then you tried to bash my skull in,” David said in a reasonable tone. “Sorry, that’s one bill you won’t be able to pay up so easily.”
David pulled Syd off the stool and half-dragged him out of the kitchen. Jared could hear Syd’s protests and promises as he was led away. When the bathroom door closed behind them, Jared breathed sigh of relief.
“Wow, that sucked,” Jensen voiced Jared’s thoughts. “Between a case of head lice and watching a football game with Syd, I’d choose the lice, but still…”
“Yeah, I know.” Jared looked at the radio shoved into a corner above the refrigerator. “You want to try it?”
“Is it battery-run?” Jensen asked.
Jared pulled it down and checked. “Yeah, it is.”
“AM then, and let’s keep the volume low, just in case.”
Jared closed his eyes and threw a prayer before turning it on. There was a lot of white noise. The first channel that came through was, as expected, a holy-roller station. And the speaker was on fire.
“Brimstone and Hell hath come to those sinners in the…”
Jared continued to scan. He would've missed it but Jensen stopped him from scrolling further.
“So, now, Amazon has declared war alongside Microsoft,” the speaker said in a tight voice. “Their servers have become shall we say uncooperative? And Seattle bloggers have earned maybe twenty-four hour respite from being shut down. To tell the truth it’s been nothing short of a miracle that they’ve been able to communicate this long.
“As for Bill Gates’ whereabouts, nobody has a clue and that includes the Pentagon, the CIA, and the FBI. And I say, good for him! Glad to see somebody had the stones to stand up for what’s right! So, Billy, if you’re listening, bless you for what you’ve done. And for the assholes who are trying to undo his masterpiece - if you think you’re going to be able to unravel his virus: good fucking luck.”
There was a pause and soft voices in the background. “Okay, I have to sign off now before we get traced. So, tune in on the same bat channel at the same bat time. And we’ll try our best not to get our asses arrested before then.
“Take care, wherever you are.”
Part IV * Conclusion